Automatic trip valve for oil burners



May 12, 1925. v r 1,537,388 4 N. E. TYRRELL I AUTOMATIC TRIP VALVE FOR OIL BURNERS Filed May 12, 1924 Patented May 12,1925

na'rnmvn TYRRELL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC TRIP VALV'E FOR OI I/BURNERSL Application filed May 12, 1924. Serial No. 712,642.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN E. TYRRELL, a citizen of the United States, and a: resident of Kansas City, county of Jackson, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Trip Valves for Oil Burners, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to improvements in safety devices for use in connection with heating plants and the like where oil, gas or other fuels are used jointly or separately, and has for one of its objects to produce efiicient and inexpensive means for stopping the flow of oil, gas or other fuel, when an excessive supply of liquid is permitted to enter the burner and an overflow is consequently produced or when excessive heat is 1 produced within the furnace and ignited gases are emitted from the crevices thereof.

Another object is toprovide means in combination with those mentioned whereby an electric circuit operatinga blower, pressure pump or' the like, may also be automatically broken.

Numerous types of trip valves are nianu-' factured whic utilize springs as actuating means for the closing"of"'control valves as the result of an overflow of oil, but they frequently fail to function because the spring does not always exert enough force to shear the valve seat clean and close the valve, while with the weight-operated valve of this invention, means are provlded whereby any. desirable weight may be employed and thereby insure the shearing of lint or the like, on the valve seat and the complete closure of the valve. I I

It has also been found in actual practice that the overflow pipe will sometimes clog and oil will accumulate in the combustion chamber faster than it is consumed, the resulting burning gases pour out through the crevices in the furnace around the fuel door and other apertures and endanger the'b'uilding. With the'present invention means are provided, whereby upon the arlslng of the condition just mentioned, the flow of fuel to the burner will be automatically cut ofi by the severing of a, fusible link and combustible connection, as will appear hereinbelow. a

With the objects named in view, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed;

and in order thafit may be fully understood, reference 1s to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which p Flgure 1 1s a side elevation ofa furnace and illustrates the mechanism of the invention in operative relation thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the trip mechanism embodying the invenlOIl. 4 Figure 3 isa view similar to that of F igure 2, but at right angles thereto. 4

Figure 4 is a top plan as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section on the line VV of Figure 4.

view of the device In the said drawing, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, 1 illustrates a furnace and .2 the fire door thereof. The fuel oil inlet line is indicated at 3, the flow of oil through said p1pe being regulated by a needle valve 4 having its stem 'operatively controlled by a lever 5, the valve being fully opened when the lever stands in the position indicated in the drawing. Abutting the under face of the valve casng is a suitable plate 6 formed with centerng fingers 7, and engaged by a U-bolt 8 havmg nuts 9 rigidly clamping the plate against the under side of the casing. The plate 6 projects outwardly and at its outer end and to one side of the valve stem is formed with an upstanding ear 10 to which is pivoted one end of a trip lever 11, which underlies the valve stem and is parallel to but spaced from the valve operating lever 5, it being noted that the-lever 11 is bent upwardly at its end in order that it may assume the relation described. I

Secured to the end of the lever 11 is a bucket 12 suspended by its bail 13, said bucket being placed under an overflow pipe (not shown) leading from the, oil burner (not shown) within the furnace. In this connection, see Figure 5, it will be noticed that the lever 11 is formed with a stop shoulder 13*, which through abutment with the ear 10 of the "plate 6 will prevent excessive downward movement of the overflow bucket and consequently prevent splashing ofoil on I weight 16 so that it may rotate the lever 5 In order to prevent actuation of the valveby the weight 16 under normal conditions, the lever 11,is formed with a notch 17 in which a catch pin- 18, carried by the lever 5, is received. The tendency of the lever 5 to swing upward under the action of the weight 16 is counteracted by the lever 11, and regardless of the pull on the cable 14, the valve cannot be closed. However, upon the overflow of oil from the burner into the bucket 12, a predetermined quantity of oil will be of sufficient weight to rock the lever 11 downwardly and permit the pin-18 to moveout of the notch 17, thus freeing the and valve stem and cause the closure of the valve and the consequent shutting off of the How of fuel to the burner, it being noted that the stop 13 will promptly check the downward movement of the lever 11 to prevent splashing of the oil as above pointed out.

Overflow of fuel and its consequent waste is thus obviated. It has proved, however,-

. that at times the overflow pipe (not shown) overflow pipe is clogged, it will be evident becomes clogged, and an excessive amount of fuel is permitted to enter the combustion chamber faster than it can be efficiently consumed. Under these conditions noxious fumes and burning gases are emitted around the cracks of the furnace and especially around the coaling door thereof. When the that the pro-vision of an overflow bucket is useless, as it cannot operate to shut off the oil supply.

In order to provide means to trip the catch and throw the fuel valve to closed position upon the production of an excessive heat within the furnace and the consequent emission of burninggases, and the like, the following mechanism is provided:

A collar 17 cut away along one of its side edges as at18, is mounted on the fuel inlet pipe 3 between the bifurcated legs 19 of a weighted lever 20. The lever 20 is gravity operated and is formed with a stop finger 21 which by abutting the shoulder 18 of the collar 17*, will limit the upward move 'ment of the lever to a position of or degrees above the horizontal.

y The weighted trip lever 20 is held in itsupper position by means of a' length of cord 22, a fusible link 23, and a length of wire 24 attached-t0 the ceiling. The cord and link are arranged in close proximity to the fire door of the furnace, so that inicase burning gases escape from the crevices of the door, the cord will be consumed, and if the temperature reaches a predetermined point, say 200 degrees, the link will melt, either action severing the weight supporting connection and releasing the weighted lever 20 for downward swinging movement. The weighted lever is so positioned that in its downward progress it will strike the trip lever 11 and free the operating lever 5 for up-v ward movement under the impulse of the weight 16, as above described, and consequently close the valve 4 and'shut ofl' the flow of oil to the burner.

If the burner is provided with a gas igniter or the like, a branch cable 25 may be attached to the main cable 14, the end of the cable being attached to a retractile spring 26 which in turn is secured to a lever 27 for actuation of a valve 28 controlling a gas supply pipe 29. The shock of the falling weight 16 will effect the closing of the fuel line 3, and this is true even if the gas valve is first seated, as the spring 26 will yield for this purpose.

When the burner is provided with an electrical apparatus in theshape of a blower or the like, the weight 16 may be loosely attached by means of a cableBO to a suitable switch 31, and when said weight is tripped and falls, it will open the switch. The operation of the electrical device is thus effectually stopped practically simultaneously with the stopping of the liquid fuel supply.

It is believed that the invention has been so described as to obviate recapitulation of its operation other than to state that it will be obvious that the depth of the notch 17 in the trip lever 11 must be in proper proportiop to'the weight 16 and the force expended ion by the falling lever 20 and the wei ht of the oil in the bucket 12, respectively. therwise, it will be evident that if the weight- 16 is excessive, the blow imparted by the weighted lever 20 or the weight of the overflow oil in the bucket 12, may be insufficient to overcome the frictional engagement of the pin 18 in the notch, 17 for "the tripping of the 'device. I

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have produced a device of the character described which possessesall of the features of advantage pointed out as desirable, and while I have described and claimed the preferred embodiment of the same, I reserve the right to make all changes properly falling within-the spirit and scope of the appended claims. r

1. In a trip valve, the combination of a valve operating lever, a Weight imposing force on said lever to close the valve, a trip lever associated with said valve lever to tion, a second weight adapted to swing in an arc and strike and trip the trip lever, and.

adaptedto trip said lever when the weight.

of the bucket, by the inflow of oil, reaches a predetermined amount, a second weight adapted to actuate the trip lever, and means supporting said second weight; said meansbeing severable under the action .of a predetermined heat for freeing the second weight. I

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a fuel feed pipe, a valve controlling said pipe, a valve operating lever, a trip lever pivoted eccentrically of said valve lever and underlyingthe valve stem and releasably interlocked with said valve lever, and a weight pivoted to said feed pipe and adapted to trip the trip lever to release the valve lever for operation of the valve.

5. In a device ofthe character described, the combination with a valve, of a plate formed with locating lugs and detachably secured to and projecting laterally from, said valve, an upstanding ear on said plate and offset with respect to the valve stem,- an operating arm on the valve stem, a trip lever carried by said ear, and means interlocking said operating arm and ti'ip'lever." I

6. In a device of; the character described, the combination, with a; valve, of a plate formed with locating lugs in; abutment with said valve, ail-bolt encircling'zthe valveand maintaining said plate in position,"an*upstanding ear on said plate and offset with respect to the valve stem, an operating arm on the valve stem, a trip lever carried by said ear, and means interl king said operating arm and trip lever.- J

In witness whereof I hereunto aflix 'my signature.

, NATHAN E. TYRRELL. 

